Almsgiving and the Annunciation

Almsgiving and the Annunciation

When we celebrate the Annunciation, we celebrate the moment when God, the King of heaven and Creator of all, saw Himself as a homeless person and made Himself a beggar. All of heaven was His throne, and the earth His footstool. And yet He asked a human being, a young...
Relics of the True Cross

Relics of the True Cross

First published May 21, 2016 In the Orthodox Church, we celebrate the holy and life-giving Cross with a Great Feast in mid-September, and again on the third Sunday of Lent. The Finding of the True Cross The Great Feast commemorates the finding of the True Cross: After...
Keeping Advent and Christmas during the pandemic

Keeping Advent and Christmas during the pandemic

Remember what it was like, keeping Lent and Pascha at home this year? There was so much that we couldn’t do, because of the pandemic. That meant we had to figure out a different way of celebrating. We had to build on the foundations of our traditions, to create a...
Holiday gift guide for Orthodox families

Holiday gift guide for Orthodox families

My husband and I love Christmas shopping. We skip the malls and go to the small, eccentric, family-owned brick-and-mortar shops that have unique and meaningful gifts. And we fill in with gifts from small online shops. This year’s going to be different, though....
How do you celebrate the Nativity of the Theotokos?

How do you celebrate the Nativity of the Theotokos?

Are there things you do every year to celebrate the Nativity of the Theotokos? I didn’t grow up Orthodox. So I didn’t grow up having customs and traditions for all of the Orthodox feasts. I wish I had. I love the liturgical calendar. Honestly, it’s one of the things...
Getting kids to write thank you notes

Getting kids to write thank you notes

If everyone in your family gets together to open gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, you might not have ever worried much about thank you notes. Your kids say thanks and give hugs in person, and that’s enough. But in some families, grandparents and godparents...